09 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a positive scenario, a son is given, a spiritual dynamic, a virgin shall be with child, activates the transformative impact, be it unto me according to thy word, behold the handmaid of the Lord, being a just man, bring forth a son, call his name Jesus, conceive in thy womb, consternation, Counsellor, declaring the end from the beginning, disobeyed your word, divine aid, Everlasting Father, faith, fear not, for with God nothing shall be impossible, forgiveness, found favour with God, God's creative power, holy spirit, how shall this be, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am God, I know not a man, I will do all my pleasure, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the reason for the season, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, my counsel shall stand, not willing to make her a public example, of the increase of his government, omnipotent god, overshadow thee, praise Your Holy Name, pray, predicament, prophecy, put her away secretly, remember the former things of old, salvation, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, the Birth of Christ, The Christmas season, the God who heals, the government shall be upon his shoulder, the highest appreciation, the Holy Ghost, the mighty God, the negative scenario, the power of speaking God's truth, the Prince of Peace, the protective umbrella of jesus, the Son of God, the word of the gospel, the zeal of the Lord of hosts, there shall be no end, thou that art highly favoured, to alleviate our problems, trusts in god's faithfulness, truth, turn from our evil ways, unto us a child is born, wisdom, wise guidance, Wonderful
Luke 1:37. For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Now, it’s definitely not a good morning on which to begin our work week; a cold, wet, cloudy Monday, with a promise of snow later on in the day. But dem’s the breaks. That’s the kind of climate we live in at this time of year. But we can break that negative scenario with a positive one; that of Jesus’ birth, as we celebrate it in this Christmas season. What a joy and privilege it was, when His awesome birth brought a season of peace and goodwill to all men. And we all know how Jesus’s birth was foretold by the angel.
Yes, what a most remarkable story, where the angel Gabriel appears to Jesus’ mother, Mary, when she was just an engaged teenager, and greets her thus: ‘Hail (rejoice) thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ (Luke 1:28) Obviously Mary was puzzled by this unexpected enthusiastic greeting. But the angel says unto her, ‘Fear not Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.’ (Luke 1:30-31)
And then he tells her about all the great things Jesus would do. (Luke 1:32-33) But Mary doesn’t seem to pay much attention to that, for her next question is, ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (the Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (One) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:34-35)
Can you imagine Mary’s consternation at the predicament the birth of a child while still unmarried would put her in. But then the angel explains that her cousin Elisabeth, hitherto barren, was now six months pregnant, ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:37) But the best part of this whole story is Mary’s final answer to Gabriel. ‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. and the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38)
Wow! Can you imagine that teenaged girl simply accepting the angel’s message without any trepidation or apparent thought for what would certainly be an untenable situation in that rigid Jewish society. However, as Gabriel had said earlier on, nothing is impossible with God, and He fixed the situation. When her betrothed Joseph discovered she was with child and they weren’t yet married, the Bible says: ‘being a just (upright) man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily (secretly).
But while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived (begotten) in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins.’ (Matt. 1:19-21)
Oh friends, don’t you just LOVE how our God orchestrates things that seem impossible to us. Instead of having Jospeh put away Mary, He has him marry her just like nothing was wrong. The Bible then shares with us the important prophecy of this occasion foretold long ago. ‘Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet (Isaiah), saying, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted (translated) is, God with us.’ (Matt. 1:22-23)
That reminds us of the prophetic power of our God, or as Bruh Paul says: ‘who quickeneth (gives life to) the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.’ (Rom. 4:17c) It’s like He said through the prophet Isaiah: ‘Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else ; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:’ (Is. 46:9-10)
Oh, my people, there is certainly none other like our omnipotent God, who went about fulfilling prophecy from the very beginning of time right up to now, with many other prophecies yet to be fulfilled as the world spins. Now, here’s an interesting commentary on the subject. It asks, ‘What does it mean to call things that are not as though they were?’ Then answers: ‘By embracing the power of speaking God’s truth over others, believers participate in a spiritual dynamic that acknowledges God’s creative power, trusts in His faithfulness, and activates the transformative impact of the word of the gospel over others.’
Yes friends, we can also be a part of God’s prophetic world if we acknowledge His truths and His power. And one of the most powerful and important prophesies to mankind is that spoken by Isaiah, concerning the birth of Jesus, who was to bring salvation and forgiveness to the people!
‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7)
And this Christmas season we’re about to celebrate is only the fulfilling of the first part of the prophecy, so let’s wake up and make sure we’re living under the protective umbrella of Jesus, before the last part of that prophecy unfolds. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to improve our world and our particular circumstances.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, let’s remember that no divine aid will be forthcoming unless and until we humble ourselves before the Lord, seek His face and turn from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the reason…for the Christmas season…let’s remind the world of that…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: acknowledge God in all thy ways, balmy temps, be not wise in thine own eyes, better examples of Christian living, bind them about thy neck, compassions, depart from evil, despise not the chastening of the Lord, escalating problems, faith, fear the Lord, forget no my law, Friday chant, god, God's goodness and mercies, good understanding, he shall direct thy paths, health to thy navel, high esteem, holy spirit, if thou wilt walk in my ways, in the sight of God and man, Jesus Christ, keep my statutes and commandments, lean not unto your own understanding, length of days, lengthen thy days, let not mercy and truth forsake thee, let thine heart keep my commandments, live up to our words, long life, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, mercy, my son forget not my law, neither be thou weary of his correction, new every mrning, omnipotent help, peace, praise Your Holy Name, put God first place, seek ye first the kingdom of God, simmering unrest, sinful world, so shalt thou find favour, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, Thank You Lord, the first fruits of all thine increase, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy presses burst out with new wine, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, truth, undeserving children of men, unexpected storms, ungodly earth, wake up and smell the coffee, whom the Loves he corrects, wisdom, wise guidance, write them upon the table of thine heart
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
Well, it looks like another day filled with mostly sunshine, but not balmy temps; just seasonal ones! (smile) But we’ll take the sunshine anytime over the gloom, and thus we can joyfully shout: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last!
And I do hope that all of us gave much thanks to the Lord for allowing us to wake up and see another day on this amazing, though too sinful and ungodly earth, because it’s only through His goodness and mercies, His amazing compassions, which are new every morning, that we are not destroyed! (Lam. 3:22-23) And all God’s children gave a grateful shout of, ‘Thank You Lord for Your goodness and mercy to us undeserving children of men! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen.’
Now, if those words truly came from our hearts, if we were sincere in our prayer, then, let’s try and live up to it nuh, as we go about our lives today. And how do we do that? Basically by keeping God first place in our lives, and there are lots of scriptures that remind us of that, especially this one from Jesus, that we sometimes get tired of hearing, (smile) but which is oh so necessary for us to remember each and every day. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Yes, it can be somewhat tiring to hear it, but we need to constantly remember it, so that we can practice it daily. God cannot get to be and stay first place in our lives unless and until we put Him there, and keep Him there! And that can only be done by having the Holy Spirit constantly reminding us of it.
And we have that marvellous example of doing just that in Cousin Sol’s early days, when he asked the Lord for wisdom and understanding to rule His people Israel, and the Lord was so pleased, that he didn’t ask for wealth and long life and the lives of his enemies, that He gave him those very things; wealth and honour, power and wisdom like no other man before or after him. (1 Kin. 3:6-13) But there was also this most important proviso. ‘And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen (prolong) thy days.’ (1 Kin. 3:14)
Yes friends, Cousin Sol needed to walk in God’s will for all those blessings to continue and come to pass. But sadly, in his old age, he forgot about God and turned to the many gods of his concubines. And that’s why the Lord LOVED Bruh David and elevated him and his name so much; despite all of his wrong doings, he never turned away from the God of his forefathers, always had a place in his heart for Him, always turned to Him for guidance and wisdom.
And it’s rather sad and unfortunate that Cousin Sol lost his way with God, especially after writing all the wonderful things in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. Now, let’s check out this one passage from Proverbs that covers it all; that marvellous scripture in chapter 3, so aptly titled – Keep My Commandments.
Please read and inwardly digest with me (smile). ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:1-2) It’s the very same things the Lord had told Cousin Sol in the passage above from Kings. Then he continues: ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4)
More absolute truth my fellow believers. But here are the most practical guidelines ever, in keeping God first place in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, all from the pen of Cousin Sol. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength, refreshment) to thy bones.
Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine. My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be thou weary of his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:5-12)
And that’s basically how we keep God first place in our lives! It’s not always easy, but that’s why we were given the Holy Spirit to help and guide us in doing so. Now, with all of that wonderful scripture under our belts, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant to get divine aid to help with our earthly problems.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
But you know what friends, in the long run it all boils down to us being improved and better examples of Christian living. Unless that happens, we will not see any divine aid. Please, let’s remember that and act accordingly, Much LOVE!
…with God first place in us…there’s no need to worry…about anything…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be aware of God's Spirit, be filled with the Spirit, be not drunk with wine, be ye not unwise, brings God's word to life, by taking heed to God's Word, catch our second wind, count it all joy, faith, faithfulness, fall into divers temptations, giving thanks always for all things, goodness, growing in knowledge and understanding in Christ, halfway home, hands on the plough, holy spirit, I will not forget thy word, if we endure to the end, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, joy, kindness, let me not wander from thy commandments, let pateince have her perfect work, LOVE, making melody in your heart to the Lord, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not as fools but as wise, not looking back, one's likeness to Christ, patience, peace, perfect and complete, persevering in God's plan, practical guidelines, praise Your Holy Name, redeeming the time, self-control, solid spiritual food, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, spiritual maturity, thank God, that I might not sin against thee, the breath of life, the challenges of your life, the days are evil, the fear of God, the milk of the word, the quality of our spiritual fruit, the trying of your faith worketh patience, thy word have I hid in my heart, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, understanding the will of the Lord, walk circumspectly, wanting nothing, we Love you Lord, Wednesday Wail, wherein is excess, wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way, wiht my whole heart have I sought thee, wisdom, with my whole heart have I sought thee
Psalm 119:10. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
And then it was Wednesday, our mid-week work day that enables us to catch our second wind, renews our energy and enthusiasm, and allows us to continue our good work for Jesus. And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of: ‘Thank You Lord for reenergizing us, for boosting our hope and faith on this Wednesday, in the crazy days of this summer season! We LOVE You, and praise Your holy name! Amen!’
Ah friends, unfortunately, life doesn’t get any easier as we get older, but fortunately with God’s help, with each passing day, we mature and get stronger, and are thus better able to handle whatever life throws at us. And what do we mean by growing in spiritual maturity, and how do we do it? This commentary from the cru.org website article on the subject gives a brief but good explanation.
‘You can grow in spiritual maturity by persevering in following God’s plan through the trials and challenges of your life (James 1:2-18) and living a life that is Spirit-filled — that is, learning to be aware of and listen to God’s Spirit, who lives within all Jesus followers (Ephesians 5:18; Romans 6:11-14). Community also plays an important role in character growth, brings God’s Word to life, gives prayer a life-changing impact and is vital for telling others about Christ.’
Yes my brethren, it’s all about growing in knowledge and understanding of Christ and putting it into action for His benefit. And we all know, but don’t like what James says in that reference. (smile) ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers (various) temptations; Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ (James 1:2-4)
And by any standard that’s tough to do in this evil and ungodly world, but with the help, the numerous tools and promises that God has given to His people, we are certainly able to do it, if we put our hearts, minds, bodies and souls to it. And one of the wonderful things about Bruh Paul, is that not only does he give us sincere doctrine, but always give us some practical guidelines to help us accomplish then. Listen to these simple, practical steps that will certainly help us grow in spiritual maturity, as he writes to the Ephesians.
‘See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:15-21)
Oh my fellow believers, you could not find a simpler way to practice godliness and grow in spiritual maturity. And having said that, I just found this other commentary by Art Tilles from the redding.com website, that interestingly expands on our earlier definition of spiritual maturity. He writes: ‘Spiritual maturity is measured by one’s likeness to Christ. Of course, it goes almost without saying that no likeness to Christ is possible at all as long as a person has no real faith-based relationship with him. That is, spiritual maturity is not even an issue when one is spiritually dead.
For a Christian, though, likeness to Christ is the goal of our election and the purpose of the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Viewed from another angle, spiritual maturity is measured the same way the maturity of a fruit tree is, by the amount and quality of its fruit, specifically what the Bible calls the fruit of the Spirit; and we’re not talking about some hyper-spiritualistic drama; rather, the Bible tells us what the fruit is that the Holy Spirit works in us: LOVE, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Those are the measures of spiritual maturity.’
And all of that is gospel truth! And if you really want a study in spiritual growth, then look no further than Psalm 119, which is all about growing in God through learning and LOVING His Word and putting it into action. And these words from the psalm ought to resonate very loudly and clearly in our hearts. ‘Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the judgements of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto (contemplate) thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.’ (Ps. 119:9-16)
Yes, saints of Christ, what rich, sincere, interesting longing and LOVE for God, His Word and Ways! Oh, if only many more of us could feel that way and put it into practical use! How wonderful our world would be! And no, it’s not a pipe dream, but a positive reality, if we believers in Christ will only wake up and do what we need to do! Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we stick with Jesus right to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! He’s promised it! So hope to see you then! Much LOVE!
…solid food…not merely the milk of the word…is essential for spiritual growth…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a hypocritical world, and with what measure ye mete, As God for christ's sake forgave you, be ye kind one to another, blame others, evasive tactic, faith, forgiving one another, hiding from God, holy spirit, humble servants, I did eat, I was afraid, I was naked, irresponsibility, it shall be measured to you, its easier to cast blame than to accept it, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, judge not, LOVE, mercy, mincing words, minister grace unto the hearers, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not complaining, our nemesis, praise Your Holy Name, promote our interests, salvation, sincerely seek your face, social media, the antidote to all hypocrisy, the beam in thine own eye, the blame game, the God who heals, the mote in thy brother's eye, the serpent beguiled me, the throne of grace, thou hypocrite, truth, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance
Genesis 3:13b. And the woman said, The serpent beguiled (deceived) me, and I did eat.
Aye mih people, our nemesis, Monday is on tap! Yes, the day we all LOVE to hate has come around again, as it does after every Sunday! (smile) And if we can’t beat it, then we need to join it, use it to promote our interests, which means not complaining about it, but being ready for it when it shows up and putting our best foot forward. And we very well know that if Sunday happens, then Monday also will happen. So it’s time to stop giving Monday the bad rap it has accumulated down through the ages, simply because we are not properly prepared for it.
We know the weekend will end, and that work will commence on Monday, but we’re always trying to push the envelope on the weekend, burn the candle at both ends, then when Monday shows up and work calls, we’re tired and miserable from too much partying and/or not enough rest, and unfairly lay the blame at Monday’s feet. But what else is new eh? That’s one of the things we do best in our modern society; that’s blame others for our problems, even when they are caused by our own irresponsibility.
Yes, taking responsibility for our actions is not a strongpoint of today’s world. It’s so much easier to blame others than ourselves. And I guess one of the earliest examples of the blame game happened right at the beginning, when in the Garden of Eden, the devil tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. Then, when the Lord came looking for Adam and Eve, they hid from Him. And when the Lord asked why they were hiding, Adam said: ‘I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and hid myself.
And he (the Lord) said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man (Adam) said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord said unto the woman (Eve), What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled (deceived) me, and I did eat.’ (Gen. 3:10-13) So, I guess we can blame our very first forefathers for starting the blame game. (smile)
Now, the scholars have some rather interesting comments on those verses. As per verse 10, they say: ‘Adam heard the ‘sound’ of the Lord God and was afraid (as most men are afraid of God today), and began the age long process of “hiding himself” from his Maker. And re verse 12, they write: ‘Adam blamed the woman and God, since God was the one who brought her to Adam in Gen 2:22.’ Then, per verse 13, they agree: ‘Eve was beguiled as 1 Timothy 2:24 confirms (cf. 2 Cor. 11:3). But she did not take responsibility for eating either. Blame shifting is another evasive tactic employed by fallen man.’
That we all know is gospel truth! And just to stir up the pot some, (smile) I’ll quote the verse from 2 Timothy. Bruh Paul writes: ‘And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.’ (2 Tim. 2:14) Now, I’m not going to touch that one with a ten-foot pole. (smile) Instead, we’ll turn to some wise words of Jesus on the subject of judging and being judged, which come from the Sermon on the Mount. He taught them: ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye be not judged (condemned). For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use), it shall be measured to you again (the same measurement will be used against you).
And why beholdest thou the mote (speck) that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam (plank) that is in thine own eye? Or how will thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote (speck) out of thine eye, and behold a beam (plank) is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam (plank) out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote (speck) out of thy brother’s eye.’ (Matt. 7:1-5) Jesus wasn’t mincing words there at all!
But nonetheless, we do that all the time in this society! It’s a very hypocritical world we live in Dr. Jack! We know everybody else’s mistakes and foibles, but refuse to look at our own, which are ofttimes greater or more damning than those of the people we criticize. And with the dubious help of social media, everybody nowadays is a critic, and can spread our unfair, unjust criticism worldwide without much fear of retribution. But sadly, that’s the kind of world we live in nowadays!
Now, we have time and space for one more exhorting and admonishing set of scriptures, and that from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, where he emphasizes: ‘Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:29-32)
Yes friends, that’s the basic antidote to all the hypocrisy, complaining, deception and irresponsibility that’s currently engulfing our world. And being agents and ambassadors of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, that’s how we are supposed to live! So please let’s get our act together and start doing it nuh. In the meanwhile, we need to go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine help for our many problems. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world.
Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And if we truly desire to see divine help, then we’d better humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God’s face! Much LOVE!
…it’s so much easier to cast blame…than to accept it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
27 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cakewalk, aogdly and prosperous world, being alone, cast out devils, cleanse the lepers, come to save that which was lost, divine help, eternal life, faith if it hath not works is dead, filled with the confidence of Christ, forgive us and heal our land, freely ye have received freely give, giving something of yourself, God's grace, heal the sick, humble servants, inequitable world, Jehovah Rapha, LOVE, making disciples of all nations, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative situations, participation, play an active part in worship, playing right into the devil's hands, praise Your Holy Name, raise the dead, sadly lacking in spirituality, salvation, shew me thy faith without thy works, show thee my faith by my works, talking the talk, the God who heals, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, the name of the game, the Son of man, walking the walk, wise guidance
James 2:17. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
One more time around the block my people. It’s another Monday morning to get ourselves in gear and navigate our working world. But it should be a cakewalk for believers if we went to church yesterday and got refreshed, renewed and filled with the confidence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, because that’s one of the reasons for attending the Lord’s sanctuary on Sundays.
However, just going to church doesn’t mean that you will automatically be refreshed and renewed and refilled with the Holy Spirit. No sir! You must come with a godly mindset and play an active part in the worship, be serious and sincere about gaining something from the fellowship with the other believers, and also giving something of yourself. Just moseying along without any effort and input on our part, while hoping for some of the godliness in the service to rub off won’t cut it at all my brethren. Participation is the name of the game!
And that’s one of the reasons why our world is in such an unruly and ungodly mess; too many of us believers are too lethargic and lazy and fearful to make worthwhile contributions to the efforts of saving our world for Jesus, of spreading His gospel and making disciples of all nations like He commanded. (Matt. 28:19-20)
Remember, all that He’s ever asked us to do is basically for our benefit, not His. Helping to save the world is not for Jesus’ sake, but for ours; that we would have a good, godly and prosperous world for ourselves and our families to dwell in, and also be the recipients of God’s grace through salvation and eternal life. But look at what we have for a world nowadays nuh; prosperity for a few, but not much good or godly for the many. And even the prosperous few are not happy either. They have all the amenities that the world can provide, but their spirituality is sadly lacking.
Granted, our world will never be as equitable as we desire until Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom, but there’s absolutely no reason for the world to be as inequitable as it is right now! And unfortunately, a lot of the inequity comes from the lack of sincere faith, positive action and brimming over passion of Christians!
Remember what James says: ‘What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.’ (James 2:14-18)
Ah friends, that is the gospel truth! We can’t have true faith without some good works to back it up. We can’t quote scripture and tell people about Jesus when they’re hungry, naked and destitute. We need to feed and clothe them first, because we cannot expect them to believe that Jesus came to save the poor and lowly, the sick and suffering and all the other good things that comes from His ministry and leave them without the basics of life. And sadly, that’s what’s happening too much around our world. A lot of us are preaching to unfortunates, but not giving them the basic life-giving stuff they need to survive.
Jesus said after dining with the tax collector Zaccheus, who repented after their meeting. ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:10) And He philosophized on that through the parables of the Lost Coin, the Lost Sheep and the Lost Son. (Luke 15:1-32) And when He sent out the disciples to proselytize, He instructed them: ‘And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils (demonic spirits): freely ye have received, freely give.’ (Matt. 9:7-8)
Yes friends, faith without works is indeed dead! And with our sloppy faith and paucity or insufficiency of works, we’re playing right into the devil’s hands. Which is not what Jesus expects of His followers, His ambassadors, His agents and stewards down here on earth. That means we badly need to raise the level of both our faith and works, if we are to make any worthwhile inroads into the wickedness and evil of our current world. And to help us do that, let’s take it all in prayer to the throne room, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
In strong and sincere voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Our next move now is to wake up to the reality of the sad situation in our world and do something about it! And as a group of serious and sincere believers, with the Holy Spirit of Christ dwelling within us, we can do quite a lot, if we set our hearts and minds to it! Much LOVE!
…it’s time for believers to stop merely talking the talk…and walk the glorious walk instead…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
22 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all hell is breaking loose, appear out of thin air, breed depression, captives in Babylon, created man upon it, Cyrus the Persian king, deliver the Jews from Babylonian bondage, endure to the end, God doesn't change, god moves in mysterious ways, I am halfway home, I am the Lord and there is none else, I form the light and create darkness, I have made the earth, I have stretched out the heavens, I make peace and create evil, jehovah god, liven up our spirits, loose the loins of kings, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, plummet to Hades, praise Your Holy Name, rebuild Jerusalem, repenting of our evil ways, thank you Lord for Jesus, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the gate will not be shut, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, The God of Israel, there is no God beside me, to a glorious future with Jesus, Triune God, we Love you Lord, Wednesday Wail, whose right hand I have holden, worshipping in sincerity and truth
Isaiah 45:5a. I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me:
And then it was Wednesday…one of those cold, dreary looking winter days, that only breed depression and disgust! But thankfully it’s now three days before Christmas, so we have something else to liven up our spirits. (smile) What would we do without Jesus eh, especially in the winter season, when the dull grey days just drag down one’s soul and spirit? And all God’s children gave out a loud and grateful shout: ‘Thank You Lord for Jesus yes! We don’t know what we’d do without Him in every aspect of our lives! Thank You Lord! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
Oh friends, how we ought to LOVE and be everlastingly grateful to our Triune God for all that they have done for us, are still doing, and have promised to do in the future! For no other supposed god takes as much interest in, and is as faithful and LOVING to their people like the One, True and ONLY Living God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
All the others are useless, and fall into one or more of these categories; fanciful creations of the human mind, or dead, lifeless objects, which have no power at all, and they usually are creations of Jehovah God anyway, like the human mind. So how can you worship something lifeless, or another created being? It just doesn’t make sense.
And I like how the Lord, through Isaiah, said it to Cyrus, the Persian king who captured Babylon, when He had him return the captured Jews to rebuild Jerusalem. ‘Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden (held), to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins (armour) of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates (double doors); and the gates shall not be shut;
I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass (bronze), and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord which call thee by name am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.’ (Is. 45:1-4) Oh how our great God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. Here He is, using a Gentile king, who knows Him not, to fulfill His promise to His people Israel, that they will only be in Babylon for seventy years..
The scholars explain. ‘45:1-4. Isaiah continues to emphasize the origin of his message from Chapter 44, stating, Thus saith the Lord. Yahweh Himself has set an open door of conquest before Cyrus. The Persian king is called by the designation anointed ( meshiach, messiah). This is the only place in Scripture where a Gentile is so designated. The term originated with the Israelite custom of anointing kings and leaders. Cyrus is given this title only in the sense that he will deliver the Jews from Babylonian bondage. I have even called thee by name indicates that Cyrus has been deliberately named in advance to reassure the Jews that the God of Israel indeed is still in control of human events.’
But that was not the end of God’s message to Cyrus. He made sure that Cyrus knew the following facts. ‘I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west (to its setting in the west), that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil (calamity): I the Lord do all these things…I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. (Is. 45:5-7, 12)
Ah mih bredrin, the Lord doesn’t make joke with His power and glory nuh. He puts it right out there for you to hear and understand. Oh that many more of us today would hear and understand! And the scholars offer this explanation, re verse 7. ‘The phrase I…create evil refers to physical evil or calamity, rather than moral evil. God is in no way pictured in Scripture as the author of sin.’
Yes friends, our God doesn’t create sin, but He does create calamity when there is too much disobedience, like He’s doing these days, when all hell is breaking loose in our world. I know that some of us have the naïve mindset that our ever-LOVING God will never create calamity or disaster…well just ask the Jews nuh! And since He doesn’t change, why would it be any different today when there is so much sin and ungodliness in the world, and when we supposed believers are committing a lot of it?
My people, the Lord our God is not happy with us. There can be no doubt about that. So anything is possible. Remember He moves in mysterious ways to accomplish His purpose, and unless, and until we return to His fold, repenting of our evil ways, and worshipping Him in sincerity and truth, our world will continue to descend, or rather to plummet to Hades, the only forthcoming relief being the soon, or quick coming of Christ.
Anyway, for those of us who have sincerely accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, and are doing our best to live for Him, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And it helps to remember that if we endure to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than our puny minds can even ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…our world did not appear out of thin air…someone created it…and someone still controls it…His name is Jehovah God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
18 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and I know how to abound, forgive us and heal our land, humble servants, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have learned, I know both how to be abased, in whatsoever state I am, Jehovah Rapha, live in prosperity, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Not that I speak in respect of want, practical experiences in life, praise Your Holy Name, promised to work all things out for good, regardless of our circumstances, sincere repentance in our hearts, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the God who heals, the hard knocks of life, the Lord be praised, the power of Christ is within you, the universe unfurls, therewith to be content, to everything there is a season, true contentment in all seasons, wise guidance and direction
Philippians 4:11. Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
And since the universe unfurls exactly as its Creator programmed it to do, today is Monday! That’s what the printout says, and there is nothing we can do to change it, so we might as well just accept it and say, ‘the Lord be praised!’ (smile) Yes friends, we don’t have much, if any say in how the world turns, which means we had better learn to accept and be contented in whatever state we are in, allowing the Holy Spirit of Jesus to lead and guide us, knowing that in the end we will be well looked after by our heavenly Father, who has promised to work all things out for our good.
And as Tim Sullivan says in the opening remarks of his sermon of how to abound and how to be abased, on the workerstogetherwithhim.org website. ‘To everything there is a season. Some seasons are of ease and others are of struggle. Life certainly has its ups and downs. But God desires that we know true contentment in all seasons, regardless of the circumstances that surround us.’
Now all of that is gospel truth, as Cousin Sol articulates as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes: ‘To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.’ (Eccl. 3:1) And the Lord expects believers to handle whatever comes against them in any and every season with zeal and panache, with style and flair. (smile) And it’s great if we can handle the ups and downs of life with equanimity, that’s a calm and composed manner, especially in the difficult times. It’s not an easy thing to do though.
That brings us to the encouraging words of Bruh Paul in his epistle to the church at Philippi, when talking about his appreciation of their gift. ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.’ (Phil. 4:11) And therein lies the Christian’s problem: being content does not come as naturally to us, as complaining does. (smile) We have to learn how to be content. And that takes a lot of learning in a lot of difficult situations.
Hear the scholars’ explanation on that verse. ‘4:11. Not that I speak in respect (because) of want: Paul’s ability to be content despite the circumstances assures the readers that his joy of verse 10 is not solely over his “need” being met at their expense. He implies that he could have done without their financial aid. For justifies this implication. I have learned …to be content: The Greek here suggests that contentment is a lesson learned neither in a classroom nor overnight, but through many practical experiences in life.’
Yuh better believe that friends, you can’t learn contentment in any classroom or in a short period of time. It’s only learned by going through the many hard knocks of life. As Bruh Paul continues: ‘I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.’ (Phil. 4:12)
And the scholars tell us: ‘4:12. By listing some specific examples, this verse elaborates upon the very general and broad “in whatsoever state I am” of verse 11. Be abased means literally to discipline oneself, that is tighten the belt in lean times. To abound means to live in prosperity. Every where and in all things I am instructed (or “in all circumstances I have learned the secret of how”) to be full, that is “well-fed.” Paul has acquired the skill for successfully living with little and with much, the latter probably being harder.’
And to back up that statement, they quote the British Philosopher Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) ‘For one man who can stand prosperity, there are a hundred that will stand adversity.’ And surprisingly that is very true. There are many who will withstand adversity better than prosperity. But here is the kicker, the engine power that makes the whole situation work. Bruh Paul’s proclamation: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil 4:13) All power and glory be to God, my fellow saints!
Yes friends, that’s how we can abound and be abased and not lose hope and faith and trust in Almighty God! Now listen to the scholars: 4:13. The apostle’s ability of knowing how to live skillfully on little or in prosperity does not mean that he is a spiritual superman. The reason he can live in such extremes is not owing to his own ability. Rather he can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth him, thus enabling him to adapt to his various, ever-changing circumstances. God orders Paul’s various circumstances, and God gives him the strength to be content in them all, trying and perplexing though they may be.’
And that’s exactly what He does for every one of His children! God orders our steps, and He also gives us the wherewithal to handle them. That’s the kind of God He is, a fair, just, righteous and LOVING God! And the sooner we understand and appreciate that fact, the sooner we will make inroads into living the contented life. Now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, let’s seek His omnipotent help with the many problems we are currently experiencing.
As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now let’s go out and keep those promises we just made, so that the Lord can bless us and our land. Much LOVE!
…you can’t strong in ALL circumstances…unless the power of Christ is within you…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
26 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: able bodied people, attitude of shame, awesome grace and mercy, be ye not weary in well doing, but are busybodies, count his not as an enemy, depraved, heal our land, hear our prayer, humble ourselves and pray, humble servants, if any would not work, immoral, Jehovah Rapha, lax and godless times, living off their host, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, more checks and balances, neither should he eat, no shame in a society, parasites, praise Your Holy Name, shame the brother into obedience, some which walk among you disorderly, taking advantage of the welfare system, the God who heals, they work and eat their own bread, turn from our evil ways, weekly nemesis -Monday, when we were with you, with quietness, work ethic, working not at all
2 Thessalonians 3:10. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
Yes people, once again it’s our weekly nemesis – Monday! Time for the partying to end and serious money-making work to restart. Oh, I know that Monday is a pain in the royal butt, but that’s the way our society is structured. If you don’t work, how are you going to live eh?
And Bruh Paul’s instructions to the Thessalonians is an appropriate scripture for us to contemplate this Monday morning in the height of this pandemic summer 2021. He says: ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.’ (2 Thess. 3:10)
Now that sounds like a rather profound and harsh judgement. But there was good reason for Bruh Paul’s statement. And he lists his reasons in the next verse. ‘For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.’ (2 Thess. 3:11)
And do we ever have a lot of those in our current society. And were we ever to do as Bruh Paul commanded, what a hue and cry there’d be in the land. But a lot of able-bodied people are taking advantage of the welfare system, often living better than those who are working.
And yes, the pandemic has brought about a scarcity of jobs, but I’m talking about those families who for generations have lived off welfare. They are like parasites, simply living off their host and not contributing anything to its betterment. But as they say, that’s life! The truth is that whatever helping programme we institute; somebody will always find a way to use it to their advantage.
So does that mean we should not provide for the genuinely sick and disabled? Absolutely not! Perhaps we need to police the system…sorry, police is the wrong word, considering all the anti-police sentiment that’s currently in vogue. Perhaps we need to have more checks and balances in the system, so that not as many unqualified people can take advantage of it.
And Bruh Paul’s solution to the overall problem was: ‘Now them that are such (lazy busybodies) (smile) we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work and eat their own bread.’ (2 Thess. 3:12) Now that’s much easier said than done.
And the scholars explain: ‘3:10-12. Paul expounds his simple and straightforward work ethic. If a person will not work, he should not eat! The Thessalonians diversion encouraged their meddlesome ways, demonstrating that “idle hands are the Devil’s workshop.” Now isn’t that the awesome truth!
Nonetheless, Bruh Paul presses on. ‘But ye brethren be not weary in well doing.’ (2 Thess. 3:13) Yes friends, under all circumstances though, the church and its constituents should continue to do good. ‘And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish (warn) him as a brother.’ (2 Thess. 3:14-15)
And the scholars tell us. ‘3:14-15. This instruction falls short of excommunication (kicking out of the church). Paul intends his readers to shame the brother, who is not an enemy, into obedience.’ Now that might have worked well back then, but I doubt it would have much efficacy today, where shame is not such a big part of life. In fact, the word, or attitude of shame, is almost non-existent today. The number of shameful things we do in these lax and godless times without feeling ashamed is extraordinary.
But friends, be sure of this one thing, eventually all our chickens will come home to roost, and when they do, the consequences will be enormous. So please, let’s err on the side of caution nuh. Let’s work as sincerely, diligently and efficiently as we can, and keep on doing good, because that’s what Jesus desires of us.
Now, there’s no doubting that our society, our world, is in utter turmoil, and it is beyond our capabilities to fix it. So, in sincere prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, let’s go to the One who can remedy the situation, and ask for help. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And don’t forget that God’s answer hinges on our sincerity to turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…when there’s little or no shame in a society…it becomes immoral and depraved…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
08 Mar 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cruel dream, against the workers of iniquity, awesome grace and mercy, bring for thy righteousness as the light, but their walk leaves a lot to be desired, cease from anger, come hell or high water, Commit thy way to the Lord, delight thyself in the Lord, do good, don't give up, for the crumbs that remain, forsake wrath, Fret not thyself over evildoers, give thee the desires of thine heart, it was all a dream, it's a balancing act, It's B.S., it's not equal or equitable, Jehovah Rapha, keep on fighting, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, neither be thou envious, only one sure way, praise Your Holy Name, rectify this untenable situation, Rest in the Lord, scrape the bottom of the barrel, show others the way, sincerely seek your face, Surrender our lives and souls to God, the disenfranchised, the God who heals, the haves talk a good talk, the many are suffering more than the few, the poor are getting poorer, the privileged are enjoying their privileges, the rich are getting richer, the righteous shall inherit the land, the true state of the wicked, the underprivileged, they shall soon be cut down like grass, this too shall pass, thy judgement as the noonday, trust in our Creator, trust in the Lord, wait patiently for him, wake up from our sinful slumber, walk our talk, wise guidance and direction, wither as the green herb, your humble servants
Psalm 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
The 5. a.m. alarm sounds…and I roll over and mutter, ‘O Lord, is Monday, got to get up and go and open the shop. Customers will soon be there knocking on the door anxious to get in…’ and I see myself bustling to fix up the place before opening time. But then something significant happens. I finally open my eyes and realize that it was all a dream, a cruel one, but still a dream. No real alarm went off, and one won’t go off until I don’t know when, for I have not opened the shop in months, because of the lockdown, and it won’t be opening this morning either, although the lockdown has been eased some.
I am a barber, I am a hairdresser, I am an esthetician, but my premises must still remain closed, while the liquor stores, the pot stores and the big groceries are open and making a killing. They won’t even allow me one or two customers at a time. Steups! But they still want me to pay rent on a shop that they’ve closed up, not me. And how do I get money to do that eh? From the li’l pittance the government so graciously grants me every few weeks? Chuh blast! And what am I supposed to live on, and feed my family with eh? It’s B.S! It’s all B.S!
The rich as usual are getting richer, while the poor are getting poorer, and the status quo still holds; the privileged ones are enjoying their usual privileges, while the underprivileged and disenfranchised scrape the bottom of the barrel for the crumbs that remain. But isn’t that the way it’s always been, from the beginning of time? The haves sometimes talk a good talk, but their actual walk leaves a lot to be desired.
I know it’s a balancing act, but the powers that be are not doing a good or even fair job of it. Those at the bottom of the feed trough are suffering so much more than those at the top, but they are still talking about we are all in this together. Yes, we are, but not equally or equitably! For the many are suffering a lot more than the few!
And how do we rectify this rather untenable situation eh? Let’s see now. The first thing is that we must not give up. Come hell or high water we must continue fighting, because like all adversity, this too shall and must pass! And how do we do that? There’s only ONE sure way that I know, and that’s to trust in our Creator, Almighty God. Surrender our lives and souls to Him completely. He created us and still cares for us, and is the best one to lead and guide us through the universe He’s created for us to spend our formative years – eternity is our adult years. (smile)
And believe me, our God is allowing this pandemic to terrorize us because He’s trying to wake us up from our sinful slumber and bring us back to Him. Now the best way to do that is by taking His holy word to heart. Listen, as Bruh David teaches how from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’(Ps. 37:1-2)
Oh friends, that’s the initial step; do not envy or be jealous of the wicked who seem to prosper in their wickedness, for when the Lord is ready, their time of reckoning will come upon them. He has faithfully promised us that: ‘the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.’ (Ps. 37:28b-29)
Then here comes the mainstay: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps. 37:3-6)
Yes my faithful brethren, that’s the starting point for us to stay strong and never give. Trust and delight in the Lord, and commit our way to Him, follow His lead and guidance, His plan for our life. No it’s not easy, but once we truly surrender to Him, He will enable us to do it. Then, as Bruh Paul would say: ‘And having done all that, thenSTAND!’(Eph. 6:13b) (smile)
But Bruh David puts it this way. ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:7-9)
And that my people, is the only way to get through this pandemic successfully; turn your eyes heavenward to the One who made you and cares a whole lot about you, judging from the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, that He made on your behalf. So let’s begin at the beginning nuh, turning our lives over to God through sincere prayer, namely our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
As one voice now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the many natural disasters that now seem more prevalent than ever.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
Now let’s go out and live up to our word. Much LOVE!
…like the haves…we Christians also talk a good talk…but in these troubled times…we desperately need to walk our talk…Jesus is depending on us to show others the way…
01 Mar 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time of peace, a time of war, a time to be born, a time to dance, a time to every purpose under heaven, a time to laugh, a time to love, a time to mourn, Covid-19, defer not to pay it, falvoured salt of the earth, forgive us, God has a sovereign design, he hath no pleasure in fools, heal our land, hibernation, humble servants, I hated Esau, inherent in our privileged position, LOVE, mass confusion, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, natural disasters, praise Your Holy Name, racial strife, recognize the responsibilities, social media revolution, some kind of a normal life, the Holy Spirit of God, to every thing there is a season, too much of anything is no good, turn from our evil ways, when thou vowest a vow unto God, wise guidance and direction, Yet I loved Jacob
Ecclesiastes 3:1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:
Will somebody wake me from hibernation when the pandemic’s over and we have returned to some kind of a normal life? I just don’t feel like facing another Monday morning of confusion, sickness and controversy, of false news and all sorts of conspiracy theories. As the old people would say, too much of anything is no good.
And we do have too much of all those things listed above, as well as too much information that our minds can’t properly handle and it’s too easy for us to spread that info even when we don’t know if it’s true or false. And the bad thing with our social media revolution is that once the info hits the street, it’s impossible to take it back, for it then takes on a life of its very own. So please wake me when the world adversity is over! (smile)
And would you believe that today is also the first day of March in this brand new year of 2021? But we’ve been so busy fighting the pandemic and each other that we have hardly noticed that the days are quickly going by; two months have now passed and we’re still no closer to a kind of new normal. But hopefully, we are making some progress towards it. And it’s not like this is the first time we’ve been surrounded by numerous difficult problems. It’s just a part of life.
As Cousin Sol so wisely said in Ecclesiastes: ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:’ (Eccl. 3:1) And isn’t that the gospel truth! There’s a season and a time for everything to happen in God’s world, for that’s how He planned it.
And Cousin Sol spells it out for us. ‘A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep , and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get (gain), and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend (tear apart), and a time to sew (together); a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to LOVE, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.’ (Eccl. 3:2-8)
Now doesn’t that sound rather interesting? It surely does! And hear this explanation from the scholars. ‘3:1-8. As Solomon reflects on all of life, he expresses a beautiful poem of 14 pairs of opposite events that God has a sovereign design behind all events (cf. Rom. 8:28). To gather stones (vs. 5) refers to the process of clearing land for planting or building. To hate (vs. 8) means to withdraw from intimacy and should not always be taken in an absolute sense (cf. Mal. 1:2-3).’
Yes friends, because our wonderful God has a sovereign design for life on planet earth, we can faithfully believe that He will eventually work everything out for the good of those He’s called and who respond favourably to that call. (Rom. 8:28) And I think we should take serious note of that reference to Malachi.
Listen to how the scholars explain the Lord’s words. ‘1:2-5. Yet I LOVED Jacob, and I hated Esau has caused concern to many. This expression involves the use of a Hebrew idiom. If a father had two sons and made one heir, he was said to LOVE the one he made his heir and to hate the other whom he had not made an heir. The LOVE and hate spoken of here is not related to the emotions, they are related to the will of God. The words challenge Israel to recognize the responsibilities inherent in its privileged position.’
And the same criteria stand today for us believers in Christ Jesus, which means that we are also being challenged by God right now to recognize the responsibilities inherent in our privileged position. And we can’t deny that we are privileged, for no other people but believers have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling in them and actively leading and guiding them in all sincerity and truth.
Consequently, we are called to up our game; be highly flavoured salt of the earth, and a bright shining light in the darkness of this evil world. So right now, let’s do like Israel did when they finally woke up from their foolish disobedience nuh; turn to God in sincere repentance and prayer. And the words of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn are rather appropriate for just such a time as this.
As one strong and sincere voice now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the many natural disasters that now seem more prevalent than ever.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
Now it all depends on the sincerity of our hearts and if we uphold all that we’ve just vowed to God. And Cousin Sol had solid advice on that too. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it, for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.’ (Eccl. 5:4) Words of mucho wisdom, my brethren! Much LOVE!
…common sense dictates…that the created should pay obeisance to their Creator…
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